A Touch from God
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
There is a song that was sung by Diana Ross that said, “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand make this world a better place if you can”. Well in the day of Coronavirus touching somebody’s hand is taboo. People are cautious to avoid touching afraid of contracting the virus. Social distancing is important to survival but in keeping our distance we lose out on the importance and benefits of the touch. Social anxiety and stress is reduced with a touch and connection is made with a touch. When we touch, hug, or pat it is a gesture that is loaded with meaning we either seek affection, attempt to communicate a need, or express and emotion. Today I want to deal with a touch unlike any other touch imaginable. This touch is an irresistible touch, an irrevocable touch, an irreplaceable touch. It’s a transforming, transcending, reviving, restoring, and resurrecting touch. It is a touch that is not necessarily done by a physical hand but is done either by a word that is spoken or done just divinely and touches the heart, the seat of our emotions and character. It is a touch from God.
Prayer.
SCRIPTURES:- 1 Samuel 10:26 “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched”.
Luke 17:11-17 “And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”
OPENING: - Today we have a new normal way of life, social distancing should be taken seriously and maintaining 6 feet apart from people not in your family has become the standard operating procedure. Hand shaking is now obsolete, hugs are a thing of the past, and touching in generally is gone. We see people wearing gloves in everyday life to keep from encountering germs from simply touching different things. Wearing a mask to enter a store is now required.
The importance of touch to humans is a vital part of life and it helps in healing the pain of the world. A human touch is vital for growth and development. Parent-child touch forms the foundation of early childhood development, starting before birth through the toddler years.
Since birth, the touch of a mother is like a magic potion for the child calming and soothing them with ever so gentle a touch. From the earliest to the latest stages of life, the human touch is vitally important.
It has been proven medically that as early as 26 weeks, fetuses have responded to vibrations felt within the womb. Touch helps newborns regulate their body temperature and contributes to their ability to regulate their emotions. Babies smiled and uttered sounds more frequently when touched gently instead of being tickled or poked. The psychological health and physical growth of children is dependent upon human touch.
The need for touch does not stop with aging it is just as important in the later years of life as it is in the beginning. It is proven that the sense of touch persists beyond the human functions of vision and hearing, indicating that the importance of human touch extends throughout the life span.
Of the five senses, touch is developed first and informs self-awareness. When humans come in close contact with one another, even in minor ways, the hormone oxytocin is released. This hormone responds to nerve stimulation by activating a feeling a wellbeing and stress relief.
Touch lights up the emotional regions of the brain. Closeness and human contact not only offer affection for this population, but veneration as well.
As you can see from this that touch is especially important. However, there is nothing better than a Touch from God.
A touch from God on the heart of a person brings about instant healing or miracle, it releases supernatural strength, and will produce a radical transformation in their life. A touch from God is a Transforming Touch, Transcending Touch, and a Triumphant Touch.
THE TRANSFORMING TOUCH
The touch from God transforms us into a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” It transforms our old way of thinking, our old way of living, our old habits, our old life-styles.
A touch from God heals Mark 5:25-34 deals with a certain woman had an issue of flow of blood for twelve years and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. She was sick physically, broke mentally, cast aside and emotionally messed-up, but just a touch of God and she was made whole, she was transformed immediately from being an outcast, sick, broke nameless woman to being a daughter of God.
A touch from God cleanses. Mark 1:40-41, the Bible says “Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, If You are willing, You can make me clean Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing, be cleansed”. Instantly the man is transformed from being an unclean leper to being cleansed.
A touch from God brings transformation from the old life to a new life and cleansing to those who yield themselves totally to God. The transforming touch of God makes everything new. After being touched by God you will have a new walk, new talk, new attitude, and a new point of view. Whatever the leprosy or issue you are experiencing today, either physical or spiritual, a touch from heaven will cleanse you today in Jesus name.
THE TRANSCENDING TOUCH
The touch from God is a transcending touch that penetrates discouragement, hopelessness, depression, weakness, and weariness. It reaches the lonely, the rejected, and the emasculated. It breaks through every heartbreak, destroys every diagnosis, and rescues the drowning spirit.
1 Kings 19:4-14 Elijah was a prophet of God that had become fearful, depressed, scared, lonely, self-condemning, and even contemplated suicide asking God to take his life, but God touched him with a touch that transcended all his problems and brought rejuvenation and empowerment unto his life and made him to continue his ministry.
You may be facing depression, anxiety, confusion, loneliness or any seemingly impenetrable issues in your life but a touch of God will transcend all of that and transform your life.
THE TRIUMPHANT TOUCH
A touch from God is Triumphant which means: - the act, fact, or condition of being victorious. solves the problem of sicknesses and problems.
A touch from God opens blinded eyes:- Mark10:46, Bartimaeus, who was blind, came to Jesus and Jesus asked him what he wanted, and Bartimaeus replied to Jesus requesting that he may receive his sight, And the Lord touches him and he receives his sight. A touch from God triumphs over darkness and opens your eyes to the true light.
A touch from God raises the dead: - Luke 7, there was a widow in a city called Nain, she had only one son, and this son died. This woman was sorrowful and unhappy, and no doubt even wished she could trade places with her son. However, as they were going to bury this young man, they meet the Lord. Jesus stretches out his hand and he touched the coffin and the man got up and he became alive again. A touch from God will revive whatever is dead in your life, a dead relationship, a dead desire, dead finances.
CLOSING: - I could not preach all the touches of God in the Bible but in my closing, I just want to give you a few of those that received a touch of God.
The touch of God for Noah was a touch of security. The touch of God for Abraham and Sarah was a touch of revival. The touch of God for Jacob was a touch of reconciliation. The touch of God for the Israelites was a touch of deliverance. The touch of God for Elijah was a touch of restoration and reassurance. The touch of God for David was a touch of victory over the giant Goliath. The touch of God for the woman with the issue of blood was a touch of transformation. The touch of God for the leper was a touch of renewal. The touch of God for the blind man was a touch of recovery. A touch of God for the widow woman that lost her son was a touch of resurrection.
You may need a touch of God right now, a touch of reconciliation where there is conflict, restoration where there is discouragement, righteousness when we feel the burden of our sin, a touch of comfort where there is sadness.
Prayer: Lord we need a touch from you right now.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
